“Nash!” Emily’s lips curved up in response. He always knew how to worm his way out of trouble, though she could see that his brows were heavy with concern. He really was apologizing.
“Don’t think any more about it,” she said. “Cold fireworks are supposed to be safe.”
“It’s killing me that I didn’t notice the dried flowers.”
“That was Mia. She put those up minutes before we started.” The last thing that Emily wanted to do was complain about Nash’s thoughtful gesture, especially since it had helped her relax enough to give a decent enough performance, as briefly as it had lasted, and—and her mind was quickly going blank about everything else but him as he brushed his thumb over her cheek.
“At least it got you out of performing,” he said.
Could he really read her that well? Who else had? But yeah, the excuse was as good as a dog eating her homework. “You’re the worst.”
“You always say that.” He started unbuckling her helmet.
“This time I mean it.” She reached up to help him get it undone. It seemed so silly for him to wait on her hand and foot. Emily could get that off by herself, but it wasn’t really about that, was it?
“I’ll make it up to you.” As soon as he got the buckle undone, he caught her fingers between both of his hands and slid her even closer. Her breath caught as her eyes traveled down the length of his face. Yeah, he had a really good one. His cheeks were dimpled from laughing so much. He had the chiseled features of a Slade cattle rancher, but his eyes. Everything that made him was a storm in his eyes—his cleverness, his interest, his passion laid bare for the world to see. Nash kept nothing back, not like she did.
The online critics had called her out on her love life. Sure, Emily had been in a few relationships, but nothing serious. Maybe a few stolen kisses, but never anything that lasted.
Would this just be another stolen kiss? She read the intent in his eyes, maybe before he was aware of what he was doing himself. Should she let him get that far?
He slid the helmet from her head, and settling it on her legs, he bit down his lip in concentration as he began working on straightening out her hair. Emily smiled. The man was—and always would be—a flirt. She loved that about him, well, when it was directed at her. “Does my hair really look that bad?”
He shook his head, his fingers exploring her hair. His thumbs brushed past the sensitive spot on her neck as he tilted up her chin.
He hesitated, his lips parting. He was going to kiss her.
She froze. Maybe they shouldn’t do this. She was tired. She’d let her defenses down for the night. That was all. She shouldn’t complicate things between them, not after spending the evening deciding how wrong Nash was for her.
How did the way he watch her change all that?
It couldn’t! She sighed and wrapped her arms around him so that she could hug him tightly instead. She felt the quickening rhythm of his heart against hers as she turned her head to the side. “It’s probably best that you don’t try to make up for it,” she said, then made the mistake of looking up at him again. Her pulse went wild in response. For some reason his beauty always startled her, since he was so down-to-earth in every other way. She attempted to gain control over her wayward emotions by wrinkling her nose at his offer of help. “I’m afraid of what you’ll come up with next.”
“That sounds like a challenge, Little Miss Harvest Ranch.” Releasing her with a subdued face, he set her back on her feet.
She felt strangely off-balance after leaving his arms, her every sense screaming at her to get back there where she belonged, but that was wrong, wasn’t it? “Bye Nash,” she whispered. “I sure hope Nashville treats you better than it does me.” She stepped back.
He caught her hand before she got too far. “Hey, I mean it. I want to make everything up to you.”
She was touched by the offer—despite her stupid emotions and overthinking and worries—though she was beginning to think that he already had done enough by saving her from her stage fright for a night.
The question was, how would she ever face an audience again? With a sudden burst of affection for his generous nature, she kissed his cheek. “You’ll be the first to know the next time that I get into trouble.”